


The Comfort of Home

by SonezakiRin



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Fluff, Happy Birthday Goro, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pre-Relationship, Romance, Technically a cafe date if you squint hard enough
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-03
Updated: 2019-06-03
Packaged: 2020-04-07 01:58:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19075168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SonezakiRin/pseuds/SonezakiRin
Summary: It was June 2nd, Goro Akechi’s birthday. Akira Kurusu spent the week agonizing over what kind of gift he should give to the Detective. As the days went by, he soon realized that the best thing he could give Goro was the one thing he has been striving to obtain his whole life. Normalcy.





	The Comfort of Home

**Author's Note:**

> A big thank you to my friend Astra (@/parahelios) for beta-reading!
> 
> AU where the phantom thieves don't exist and Goro isn't the bad guy. Also, the Proof of Justice OVA ruined my life. I hope Atlus knows what they did to me.

Akira glanced up at the clock every couple of seconds, feeling that if he checked enough times then the person he was waiting for would magically start to feel bad for even keeping him waiting in the first place and just show up already. However, Akira knew that he couldn’t quite blame Goro for his increasing anxiety. It was his own fault for feeling so nervous in the first place. Why that was? He didn’t particularly know himself.

A few days ago, Futaba had been kind enough to drop the bomb on Akira that Goro’s birthday was this coming weekend. At that moment, there were a variety of questions swirling around his brain, such as: why hadn’t he thought about asking Goro when his birthday was? Why did Futaba know and not him? Well - that one could probably be answered easily enough. Knowing her hacking skills, it was most likely that she didn’t figure it out by kindly asking the usually-reserved detective. More importantly, Akira wondered why Goro never bothered to bring it up in the first place? Were they not at that level of friendship? Though, that didn’t make much sense either. There had been a couple of occasions where both he and Goro had stayed in LeBlanc long after closing time to have a friendly game of chess, or perhaps Akira would invite the latter up to his make-shift bedroom to watch movies or something of that nature. If anything, he thought that they were well beyond that level of friendship, whatever that meant.

Akira made sure to prepare some coffee and curry beforehand for when the brunette would arrive. He wasn’t sure how Goro wanted to spend his birthday, but if he didn’t make the fact known to his friends then perhaps he didn’t want to celebrate it as a group. Akira decided that he would try to be subtle about it. He would give the brunette a meal -- that seemed harmless enough -- and then proceed to spend a casual day with him. Akira wouldn’t even acknowledge the fact that it was Goro’s birthday until the end of his visit. He was afraid that if he brought it up upon the brunette’s arrival, he would get angry at Akira for prying into his personal life, or worse, he would leave and never come back. The ravenette could never be too sure. Goro wasn’t one to wear his emotions on his sleeve so it was hard to tell how the boy was truly feeling half the time.

The sound of the bell chiming just above the door was what brought Akira back to his senses, and he snapped his head up to be met with a pair of surprised yet slightly concerned maroon eyes. For a brief moment, the two only locked gazes with each other, but Akira couldn’t help but finally notice Goro’s uncomfortable shifting of his position.

“Ahh Kurusu-kun, I hope I’m not interrupting something important.” He finally muttered, breaking their eye contact and Akira followed the other's gaze to his own scrubbing of the bar counter. The ravenette couldn’t tell what it was that Goro was referring to, but he could only imagine that perhaps his face was scrunched up in annoyance as he was playing dozens of different sequences in his head.

In the end, Akira shook his head meekly and stood upright, finally starting to feel a surge of embarrassment running through him.

“No, it’s nothing like that. I think I was so lost in thought that I didn’t notice you come in.” His excuse came out as pathetic as it sounded, but he ignored the other's piercing gaze and instead made a gesture for him to come sit at his usual spot. “You can relax for a bit as I finish cleaning things up.”

As Goro took his seat at the bar, Akira grabbed the already-made coffee and poured a cup for the detective, delicately placing it in front of him with a nervous expression. The brunette seemed surprised by the gesture and opened his mouth to refuse the free drink, but Akira cut him off before he even had the chance to form the sentence.

“Oh, but I insist. Surely you can’t deny a cup that’s already been made for you, right?” The younger boy's eyes took in every detail of the one sitting in front of him. He silently relished in the slight flush that presented itself on Goro’s cheeks before said boy turned his head to the side, coughing uncomfortably.

“Yes, well I suppose you are right.” His gloved hands carefully wrapped themselves around the cup offered to him as he brought them up to his lips with the same type of care. A small smile graced Goro’s features at the familiar warm feeling that spread through his chest from the drink. “Thank you for the coffee. It is as great as always.”

Akira felt himself grin at the praise being directed towards him. “It’s no problem. I’m glad you like it.”

He leaned back, taking one last look at Goro’s pleased expression before going back to the task at hand. As he did so, the only sounds that could be heard were the quiet click of the cup on the counter and the lowered volume of the television in the corner. Akira didn’t have to look at Goro to know that he was watching whatever was on the television; it was perhaps something that he always did when he came to LeBlanc. If he wasn’t looking over case files, which he definitely wasn’t doing since Akira didn’t recall seeing the brunette come in with his briefcase, then he was most likely captivated by the television. 

Even if it was a sight that he was used to, Akira couldn’t help but wonder what kind of expression the other was making at the moment. Would he still attempt to keep up his facade as the Detective Prince, or would a new emotion present itself given that no one else was currently in the cafe? Curiosity got the best of him, and the ravenette decided that it wouldn’t hurt to take a quick glance. However, when he looked over at the other, Akira was surprised to see that Goro was in fact staring at _him_ rather than the television. 

All at once, the barista felt his face flush in embarrassment at the sudden attention that had been directed his way. 

“Is something the matter?” he managed to sputter out, wondering for how long the other male had been staring at him.

Goro shook his head with a small smile on his face.

“No, I was just wondering what it was that you called me here for. LeBlanc is closed today, is it not? I just can’t seem to figure you out.” He laid his chin on the palm of his head, brows furrowing as if intensifying his gaze on Akira would suddenly expose all of his secrets.

A soft sound filled the cafe and it took Goro a couple moments to realize that Akira had begun to chuckle at the questions he was asked.

“Is it that wrong to ask a friend of mine to hang out?” The barista offered one of his infamous smiles which felt too genuine to confuse for a mocking expression, but too mischievous to be considered a casual smile. “I feel like I hardly see you anymore. If free coffee is enough to bring you around, then maybe I should do it more often," he teased, tossing the rag that he was holding into the sink and going back into the kitchen to bring out some plates.

Goro huffed and furrowed his brows even more at the comment. He lifted his head from its position on his palm and was almost glaring at the barista who now seemed to be ignoring him.

“That is far from the truth Kurusu-kun. Lying doesn’t suit you. I come by at least once a week. Are you saying that’s insufficient for you?” The question was meant as a rhetorical one, but knowing Akira, he was sure to answer it with his own sarcastic comments.

The ravenette stopped what he was doing for a second to place a finger on his own chin, pretending to be lost in thought.

“Who else will entertain me with a challenging game of chess? Or perhaps billiards?” A cocky grin found its way onto the boy's lips as he directed his gaze back towards Goro, sending a chill down the brunette's back with how piercing the gaze was. “I enjoy our conversations too, you know. There’s something intimate about them that a text message just can’t convey.”

The detective pulled a face at the phrase. He knew well-enough about Akira’s antics by now, but he still couldn’t help but be taken aback every time they presented themselves.

“A rather poor choice of words, but I understand what you’re getting at. For what it’s worth, I too enjoy our discussions.” Goro sighed and placed his chin back into the palm of his hand, except this time he turned his gaze back towards the television, signaling the end of the conversation.

Akira shrugged, a playful grin on his face as he once again picked up the plates that he had previously set down, this time serving two plates of the already cooked curry. One for him, and of course, one for Goro.

The gentle sound of the plate being set down in front of him was enough to disrupt Goro from his thoughts. “What’s this?” the brunette asked dumbfounded, knowing damn well that what had been placed in front of him was indeed a plate of curry, but he had trouble figuring out why it was being given to him in the first place.

The ravenette shrugged once again, much to Goro’s dismay. He couldn’t help but feel increasingly bothered by the obvious secrecy in Akira’s actions.

“It’s curry. I noticed that you’ve never ordered it before even though Boss and I are always urging you to try it out.” Goro felt his eyebrows twitch in annoyance that Akira decided to end his matter-of-fact statement with a pout. If he thought that trying to guilt trip the detective into eating the curry would work, well, it was certainly working.

With an obvious bout of hesitation, Goro picked up the spoon and carefully inspected the plate of curry in front of him. He had to admit, it did look good, but he had to remind himself that of course Akira was just being kind and was perhaps serving him some leftovers. The thought of the curry being made specifically for him made his chest tighten in a way that he hadn’t experienced before, and he couldn’t say that he was a fan of it.

As if being able to read his thoughts, Akira quickly jumped in to pull him right out of them.

“You don’t have to worry about it being spicy. I remember how you reacted toward the...takoyaki that was served to us during our school festival. I made sure to make it as mild as possible.” A soft smile was plastered on his face, but it was almost instantly replaced with a serious expression. “But if you swear that this is too spicy for you then you’re probably a lost cause.”

A pause of silence overtook the cafe, and as the seconds passed by, Akira couldn’t help but feel his nerves overtake him once more. Perhaps he had said something? Why was the brunette just staring at him with such a blank expression? Unable to stop himself, Akira felt his lips moving faster than his mind could process. “If it’s what I said I’m sorry it was just a jo-”

“You made this for me?” Goro cut him off, not even bothering to notice the flustered expression that Akira had. Instead, his mind was too focused trying to wrap itself around the fact that the food in front of him was in fact made just for him. It was different having coffee made for him. Since he was a regular at LeBlanc, he was occasionally given free refills. It was something which he had originally been against, but since his pleas were never being heard, he decided to simply accept it. However, something as cherishable as food, curry even, felt like too much. Goro couldn’t remember the last time somebody deliberately went out of their way to fix something up for him.

If the confusion on Akira’s expression wasn’t noticeable enough, then it sure came through in his tone of voice. “Well...yeah? We’re friends aren’t we? If I’m going to invite you to spend the day with me then the least I can do is feed you, right?” he stated as if it was common knowledge, or perhaps he was doing his best to reassure the detective. Neither were really sure, but it didn’t seem like it mattered anyways.

Goro averted his gaze back down to the plate in front of him. “Right…” His voice trailed off, becoming lost in thought again but quickly roping himself back in. “Sorry. I mean, yes, we are friends aren’t we? I’m not sure why that came out as such a surprise to me.” The brunette chuckled to himself even though his statement sounded more like a question. Akira couldn’t help but wonder if there was perhaps more going on in the other's mind that he wasn’t voicing.

Knowing that it wasn’t his place to comment on it, he decided to drop it, for now.

“Yes, well we should get to eating before the food starts to get cold. I don’t want all my hard work to be for naught,” Akira commented almost dramatically, slipping his apron off and setting his own serving of curry down on the spot next to the detective.

For some reason, Goro felt himself becoming more aware of the other's existence beside him than usual. He wondered why that was. They’d eaten at different places before. They’d even gone out to different locations to spend time together. In none of those moments had he ever been so hyper-aware of Akira’s presence, but now felt different. The nagging feeling in his head was telling him that it’s probably because it was his birthday. He hadn’t properly celebrated it since the passing of his mother, and he wondered if he could actually consider this time with Akira as a casual celebration. The thought in itself made Goro feel glad that he was indeed able to call Akira his friend. Spending your birthday with someone that truly cared about you felt...nice. The brunette couldn’t recall the last time that thought had actually crossed his mind.

The silence that had accompanied them whilst they ate was comforting in its own way, but of course, Akira always had to throw in a bit of his eccentricity into the moment.

“You know,” he finally spoke up, successfully capturing Goro’s attention. “There’s a lot of other weird food combinations that I’ve heard of. Did you know that I once saw someone eating sushi while drinking chocolate milk?”

Goro set his spoon down so that he’d be able to reach his hand up and pinch his temple in annoyance, the now-vivid thought fresh in his mind. “Alright, that’s something I don’t need to envision while I’m trying to eat, Kurusu-kun," he sulked to himself, not noticing the way that Akira’s eyes lit up with mischief.

“You can just call me Akira you know.” The ravenette spoke softly, placing his chin in his hand like Goro had done so earlier. He noticed the way that the detective seemed to sit up defensively, so he decided to cut him off before he even had the opportunity to retort his suggestion. “Oh come on, are you really going to say that you haven’t worked your way up to that privilege?”

The detective closed his mouth almost immediately and seemed to be contemplating the suggestion. It’s not that he hadn’t worked his way up to first name basis, but did Goro feel as though he _should_ be allowed to have that right?

Akira noticed the inner turmoil going on inside the other and decided to tease him even further. He leaned just close enough to get into Goro’s personal space and whispered, “Or perhaps you would like to address me as Akechi-kun as well, seeing how domestic we’re being right now.”

Goro let out the most exasperated sigh that Akira had ever heard in his life, though it didn’t seem to be one of annoyance, but rather embarrassment.

“You’re insufferable…” The detective used his free hand to attempt to cover up the flush that spread across his face while having to listen to Akira’s laughter be drained out in the background.

In an attempt to change the topic of conversation, Goro swiftly ate the rest of his food as quickly as he could. He was still ignoring Akira’s suggestions for possible names he could address him as in the future, and before he could suggest something even worse than _Akechi-kun,_ Goro interrupted him yet again with a swift, “Thank you for the food. It was quite delicious. I may have to start ordering it along with my usual coffee.” The detective would be lying if he said he didn’t take satisfaction in the way that the ravenette immediately stopped speaking in order to process the words that were spoken.

Akira’s previous teasing had been long forgotten by the compliment that he had just been given. He perked up in his seat and Goro could have sworn that the ravenette was visibly shaking with excitement for just a moment. “I’m glad you like it. Boss has been teaching me how to make it his way for the longest time. I’m not sure if mine is up to par with his, but if you liked it then surely it’s not that bad.”

Goro felt his heart flutter uncomfortably at Akira’s modest comment. He wasn’t sure why he thought the ravenette would take the opportunity to brag about himself. That was very unlike him. The detective didn’t know why he thought Akira would be like everyone else. _He’s never acted like everyone else._

“I think either way I would prefer your curry to Sojiro-san's. No offense to him meant, but food tastes better when they’re made by your friends, don’t you think?” He offered a simple smile and was rewarded with Akira’s own smile. A genuine smile. Not a mischievous one, not a suspicious one, but a genuine wholesome smile.

“If that’s the case, then you should try inviting me over to eat your cooking sometime,” Akira commented nonchalantly, hoping that he wasn’t testing his luck by making such a suggestion, but thankfully the detective didn’t seem bothered by it at all. If anything, Goro only laughed at such a comment, but in a sincere way.

“I do believe that would be a bad investment. I am not skilled in cooking as you are. I spend my free time studying or working.” Goro paused, seemingly choosing his next words carefully. “I’d always thought that instant food or something that is quick to grab was just as good a meal. Though I think my opinion has been swayed now. It feels different eating with others and enjoying their company.” He chuckled to himself as he looked back over at Akira. The uneasiness that he'd had when he first entered LeBlanc not even an hour earlier seemed to have dissipated. It was now replaced by a calm and still-composed version of Goro that Akira couldn’t say that he’d seen before.

However, still being one for wanting to get the last word in, Akira mustered to say the first thing that came to his mind.

“Oh? So you enjoy my company? Tell me more, detective.” The barista almost wished that the first thing that came to his mind wasn’t a flirtatious comment, but he figured that it was worth it if Goro’s sudden flustered expression was convincing enough. Akira got up from his spot next to the detective, ignoring the other's gaze which was most definitely screaming _it’s not like that._ A proud smirk was on his face as he picked up both of their empty plates and cups, putting them into the sink to soak so that it would be easier to clean later.

Goro watched Akira carefully and shifted through his different thoughts as he waited for his previous embarrassment to die down. Why was it that it was so easy for the ravenette to make him come so undone like that? The detective liked to think that he was able to manage his emotions appropriately, but when it came to Akira, he was certainly under the mercy of some trickster. Goro definitely did not like to be the one without the upper hand.

While lost in his thoughts yet again, Goro didn’t know Akira had walked back up to him and was watching the older boy with an amused grin on his face. After a moment or two of continued silence, he decided to wave his hand in front of the brunette, almost immediately catching his attention.

“Come on, let’s go upstairs and watch a movie or something. I’ll finish cleaning up when you leave so it’s no problem," he suggested, already making his way up the stairs before Goro could give his input on the idea, though it wasn't like he minded.

The detective already knew that fully concentrating on a movie was something that they were never able to do. While they did try to stay engaged in the movie, either him or Akira would start asking the other questions pertaining to the movie. If they were watching a comedy movie where the main character pulled a ridiculous stunt with his friends, Goro would turn to Akira and ask ‘Is that something that you would do with your friends?’ and then the conversation would go from there. By the time that the movie was done playing, the boys would have already long forgotten about it, so it wasn’t any surprise to either of them that the same thing happened while watching their current movie.

-

As the hours went by, so did the amount of time that the detective had left to indulge himself with the barista's company. Even though they both knew that he considered Akira to be his best friend, the brunette would never give the other the satisfaction of knowing that Goro wished that he could stay just a little bit longer with the ravenette whenever they did meet up. That just wasn’t like him, and Goro didn’t think that he was prepared to see the stupid grin that would spread across Akira’s face upon hearing those words.

So now here they were, standing only a couple of feet from the entrance of LeBlanc. Akira had spent almost half an hour attempting to coax Goro into staying for ‘just a little bit longer’ but the brunette already knew that those words were code for ‘the rest of the day’. That was, unfortunately, time that he did not possess.

After bidding their farewells, Goro had turned to leave, but was startled when he heard Akira’s voice suddenly pipe up. “Oh! Do me a favor and close your eyes.”

Goro’s hand twitched on the doorknob and he slowly let go, turning around to give Akira an incredulous look.

“Now, why would I do that?” His smile was a mixture of confusion and amusement, but he didn’t see the harm in seeing how this would play out.

There was a shy smile plastered on the other’s face as he tried to think of a way to explain himself. “I have a surprise for you, but I left it upstairs. I have to run up and get it, but it would be a waste of a surprise if you saw me coming back down with it.”

It seemed like the umpteenth time that day that Goro rolled his eyes at Akira, but still, he was quite curious as to what the surprise was, so he decided to humor the other, even if it was for a moment. “I suppose you’re right, but I’ll only close my eyes once I hear you coming back down the stairs, ok?”

The impatient yet unamused expression did not go unnoticed by Akira who only nodded and turned on his heels to run up the stairs as fast as he could.

“That’s fine! I’ll be right back” Akira winked cheekily at the other which before suddenly disappearing up the stairs.

Goro smiled softly to himself as he watched the other leave. There was always something about Akira that kept him on his toes. There was always something new to expect from the younger boy. It was never the same old thing every time they met. Goro knew that whenever he met up with Akira, he always had to be on his toes, both because of how their encounters played out, but also because of the surge of emotions he felt when he was by the ravenette’s side.

True to his word, Goro snapped his eyes shut once he heard the thumping of footsteps coming back down the stairs. He decided that his thoughts would have to wait until he got home, or at the very least when he was out of Akira’s sight and mercy.

He felt himself become anxious when Akira stopped just in front of him. Goro could hear the slight sound of the ravenette fidgeting with something before finally saying, “Alright, you can open your eyes now.”

The brunette opened his eyes not knowing what to expect, but seeing Akira standing in front of him with a somewhat messily wrapped box in front of him was one of the last things that he was expecting. Goro opened his mouth to say something, anything, but the words wouldn’t come out. What was he supposed to say to, well, this?

“Happy birthday, Goro.” Akira spoke softly and that was all the brunette needed to find confirmation in his thoughts.

It should have been obvious, really. Goro wasn’t sure why he never saw it coming. Perhaps it was because he didn’t let himself indulge in the thought too much. He was sure that he would have been disappointed if Akira wasn’t aware of what day it was, but how did he know? He didn’t remember telling the other at all.

Once again being able to magically read the detectives thoughts, Akira spoke up. “Futaba told me. Actually, everyone else knows that it’s your birthday but I was afraid you’d see us crammed into LeBlanc with a cake and balloons and run away. I wasn’t sure how you wanted to spend it since it’s not something you brought up before so I only assumed that-”

“It’s great. No, it’s perfect. Thank you.” Goro knew that his voice was shaking and his hands were noticeably trembling as he accepted the gift from Akira, holding it close to his chest in an attempt to deafen the sound of his loudly beating heart. He was sure that it would be impossible for the other to even be able to hear his heartbeat in the first place, but to Goro it was perhaps the loudest thing in the room.

Before the brunette had the chance to say anything more, his phone began to ring loudly. Both boys were startled by the sudden ringing sound, and Goro had to excuse himself in order to answer it. Much to his dismay, it was Sae calling and asking him if he could come in a bit earlier in order to review some case files. She apologized, knowing that it was his birthday and he was supposed to have the morning and early afternoon off, but something urgent had come up and they desperately needed him to come into the office. As much as he was both bothered that the supposed mood was interrupted by this phone call yet again as it had done so previous times when he and Akira had been sharing a moment, there wasn’t much that he could do about it. With a heavy sigh he resigned himself to his fate and reassured the prosecutor that he would get to the office as soon as he could.

When he hung up the phone, he was met with a sympathetic smile provided by none other than Akira. “Seems like you have to go huh?”

“Yes, well I was already on my way anyways, wasn’t I?” Goro wasn’t sure who he was asking, or if he was even asking anyone at all. The heavy weight in his heart was suddenly feeling much tighter than usual and this time it wasn’t in a pleasant way. “Thank you again, Kurusu-kun. I really do appreciate it.”

The words fell awkwardly from his mouth. He wasn’t quite sure how to accept a gift from someone. Sure, he had received gifts from his fans, but this was Akira Kurusu, his friend, and Goro wasn’t used to receiving a gift from a friend.

“I’ll see you soon," was the last thing he sputtered out before leaving the cafe, not daring to look back as he was sure that Akira would have a disappointed expression on his face. The ravenette was always one for having the last say in anything, but this time Goro wasn’t going to let him have that. Not when Akira had already dropped something as significant as a gift in his hands. Did the barista even know how much the gift itself meant to him? Knowing Akira, he probably did.

-

When Goro got home, he placed the gift he had received from Akira down on the kitchen counter. He wondered what it was? He knew that he could just open it and figure it out just like that, but there was something almost exciting about being given a birthday present. He didn’t want to rid the fluttering feeling in his chest by opening the gift and ending the suspense of the surprise then and there. However, curiosity got the best of him and Goro found himself reaching forward and carefully undoing the wrapping. As he did so, he could tell there were a couple of folds that Akira had particularly struggled with. Goro felt himself chuckle as he envisioned the ravenette having a full conversation with the wrapping paper, asking it to cooperate with him.

Once the wrapping paper was undone, the brunette noticed the card sitting atop of a box that Akira had gotten for him. _Why is there a wrapped box inside of another wrapped box?_ Goro rolled his eyes at the sight but he felt more amused rather than annoyed at the display.

The card seemed to be hand-made as it had miniature doodles of everyone who was a part of Akira’s - no - _their_ friend group. Each one of them had a party hat on and was surrounded with other things such as streamers, balloons, and a cake that seemed to be held by Akira. On top of them were the words _Happy Birthday_ written in big letters.

Inside the card itself were birthday wishes written by each of his friends. There was something about a handwritten note, _a hand-made card_ , that made Goro’s eyes well up. He couldn't say he’d ever received anything like this before. He couldn't say that anything had ever caused him to feel this warm and happy before either. There were a lot of things that Goro couldn’t say before, but he was grateful that he was now able to do so.

_Happy Birthday Goro,_

_I hope I’m allowed to use your first name now...if I didn’t somehow manage to convince you to let me address you by your first name then disregard that. I wasn’t too sure what I should get you. For someone as high profile as you, I’d imagine that you’d get yourself whatever you want, whenever you want. Though I do remember you mentioning before that your home wasn’t furnished in the sense that nobody would be able to tell that you, Goro Akechi, lived in that home. So then I started to wonder: what is something that exemplifies you? I had trouble figuring it out until I started to think about our many outings together. Your mother is really important to you, isn’t she? It seems that you’ve mentioned her quite a few times, as well as the fact that she was happy when you played the part of a hero._

_I know it’s not much, and I’m sorry if I read you wrong and you don’t even like it, but I hope that you know we all believe you will become that hero that your mother wanted you to be. You will be the proof of justice!_

_\- Akira Kurusu_

Goro held his breath while his hands meticulously undid the wrapping on the box in front of him. His mind was racing with a dozen thoughts asking him why Akira of all people would write such a message for him. He had always thought that the younger male was very forward with his thoughts and emotions, yet he always seemed to catch the detective off guard. It was nerve-wracking to say the very least.

Finally, the wrapping was left undone on the floor as Goro held the box in front of him, tears rolling down his cheeks without a care in the world. _Of course_ Akira had to get him the Proof of Justice makeshift gun that was recently released in the Featherman franchise, and of _course_ he had to pick it out for Goro. It probably stemmed from their encounter in the arcade where Goro had admitted that he used to play hero with a play gun. It wasn’t difficult for Akira to put the pieces together of where exactly he had originally gotten that idea from.

Goro held the box close to his chest, sobbing uncontrollably at this point. However, this seemed to be the first time that he had cried tears of joy, and he truly couldn't say that his heart had ever felt any more full.

“You truly are insufferable, Akira.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you'd like to scream about akeshu with me then feel free to hmu on my Twitter (@/SonezakiRin)


End file.
